The present invention relates to an industrial computed tomographic (CT) apparatus, a CT imaging method and a method of providing service using the same.
In industrial X-ray CT apparatuses it is common practice to place an object of concern on a turntable that rotates in a horizontal plane and take a horizontally sliced tomographic image. When an object is put on the turntable of the X-ray CT apparatus, the user selects reference planes (horizontal plane, vertical plane, etc.) and aligns a coordinate system of the object with that of the turntable by using a square and level. In inclining the object, the user makes an adjustment by inserting a wedge-like jig under the object.
An industrial X-ray CT apparatus with a setting device that allows an object to be set in different positions and directions is disclosed in JP-A-2000-298106.
In a medical X-ray CT apparatus, a method is described in JP-A-2000-107161 which involves imaging a patient body with markings on his or her body surface and side surfaces and determining a position of a legion as a relative position from the body surface markings.
With JP-A-2000-298106, although the installation of an object to be imaged is made easier for the user, the work for determining reference planes of the object is difficult to achieve.
The method of JP-A-2000-107161 can be applied to medical apparatus because the position of a human body attached with markings on its surface is fixed. However, in industrial apparatus the reference position (reference plane) changes from one object to another, so this method cannot be applied.